India short of one pacer for T20 World Cup: MSK Prasad

India is a pacer short heading into the T20 World Cup this month feels former chairman of selectors MSK Prasad who is also a bit concerned about allrounder Hardik Pandya not bowling in the ongoing IPLThe T20 World Cup gets underway from October 17 in the UAE and Oman with India among favourites to clinch the titleIt is a decent squad but I feel that they are one fast bowler short actually because we are playing majority of the matches in Dubai and Abu Dhabi so may be one more fast bowler could have been handy Prasad told PTI in an interviewHad we played more matches in Sharjah this was okay but one fast bowler could have been there and more important with Hardik not bowling I think it is a little cause of concern explained the 46yearoldThe Virat Kohliled India will begin their T20 World Cup campaign when they take on archrivals Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium on October 24While the pitches in Sharjah have aided the spinners the tracks in Dubai and Abu Dhabi have been helping the fast bowlers as is being seen in the IPLBaroda allrounder Pandya a key member of the team has not been bowling for fivetime IPL champions Mumbai Indians in the current UAE leg of the cashrich league The franchise has said repeatedly that it does not want to push him too hard keeping in mind his importance to the Indian teamAsked about his take on the situation Prasad said See Hardik has been picked as an allrounder not as a batsman he is seen an allrounder who will add that what you call balance to the sideit is a little surprising that or I dont know whether he is being instructed not to bowl or he is being preserved to bowl only in the World Cup he wonderedWe dont exactly know but in an ideal scenario Hardik has been picked as an allrounder I would love to see him bowlingI dont know what exactly is the thought process because selectors must be knowing it or the Board must be knowing it but Hardik if he doesnt bowl then there will be little I mean the balance of the side will get a little affected said Prasad who played 6 Tests and 17 ODIsThe former India stumper also backed Kohlis decision to step down as the T20 skipper after the World Cuphe has taken strain of captaincy across all formats which is clearly visible right now on his individual performances So I think it must be a right decision to take said Prasad when asked how this decision of Virat would help the batsman in himWe want Virat a man who can get 70 centuries in a decades span we would want to see the same Virat If the T20 captaincy is affecting the batting then it is the right decision to take added the veteran of 96 firstclass matchesKey spinner Yuzvendra Chahal could not make the World T20 squad and Prasad said the Chetan Sharmaled selection panel probably made that decision on his recent indifferent formInstead of talking why he Chahal has not been included instead of expressing our opinion I would definitely say that why hes been excluded he saidProbably the selectors would have gone with his form in the mind unfortunately he was not among the wickets in the last few monthsThey would have seen that form and now that he has regained that its a tricky situation right now but Chahal has been our premier T20 bowler he is the highest wickettaker for India in the T20 format added PrasadThe IPL and the ICC T20 World Cup will be exclusively broadcast on Star Sports NetworkThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever